Edmonton Oilers will start next season in Draisaitl's hometown in Germany
The Edmonton Oilers will start the 2027-28 NHL season across the pond.
For the first time since 2018, the Oilers have been selected to participate in the league’s Global Series. This time, Edmonton will head all the way to Germany, where they open up next season with two regular-season games in Leon Draisaitl’s hometown of Cologne at Lanxess Arena.
This will be the second time that Draisaitl has donned the Oilers jersey in his hometown, having done so once before as part of an exhibition game between the Oilers and Kölner Haie before their 2018 Global Series matchup against the New Jersey Devils in Sweden.
The Boston Bruins are also heading to Germany to start next season, with two games set to be played in Munich, the hometown of NHL forward J.J. Peterka.
“There is no better way to experience the speed, skill and excitement of NHL hockey than live and in person. The National Hockey League is thrilled to bring our first-ever regular season games to the passionate fans in Munich and Cologne,” said Bill Daly, the NHL Deputy Commissioner, in a release.
“These events represent an important step in our commitment to grow the game in Germany. By bringing more NHL games to one of Europe’s most dynamic hockey markets, we hope to continue to deepen engagement amongst our fans, partners and local communities, while at the same time creating a significant opportunity to grow the game throughout the country.”
The #Oilers are headed to Germany next season 🇩🇪
Leon Draisaitl will return to his hometown of Cologne with Edmonton during the 2027-28 season to kick off the @NHL's regular season in Germany as part of the 2027 NHL Global Series. https://t.co/HqptNOfFuP
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 20, 2026
The Oilers’ opponents for those two games in Cologne will be revealed sometime during the upcoming season.
This is just the latest in a string of attempts by the NHL to popularize the sport in Germany. The league announced a unique partnership with German soccer team FC Bayern on Thursday morning to help promote hockey in the country as well.
Having the greatest German NHL player in Draisaitl return to his country to play regular-season games will help supercharge the league’s efforts.
“The NHL Global Series games in 2027 bring two of the NHL’s best players in Leon Draisaitl and JJ Peterka back to play in front of their hometown fans,” said Marty Walsh, the NHLPA Executive Director.
“Germany has a proud hockey tradition, and these NHL Global Series games are part of the League and NHLPA’s ongoing commitment to build meaningful connections between NHL players and the German marketplace.”
The @NHL and @FCBayern today announced a first-of-its-kind strategic multiyear partnership designed to accelerate the growth of hockey in Germany and the development of FC Bayern in North America. 🏒 ⚽ 🇩🇪
The unique collaboration is part of the NHL’s long-term international… pic.twitter.com/2FTZuqxQME
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) August 20, 2026
Germany has emerged as a growing hockey power in recent years. The nation captured a silver medal in men’s ice hockey at the 2018 Winter Olympics, and it was competitive with the return of NHL players this past season, finishing sixth.
While the Oilers’ opponent has not been revealed, you’d have to think that any team participating in these games would need a prominent German player. The Ottawa Senators (Tim Stützle) or Detroit Red Wings (Moritz Seider) could make sense in that regard.